Bruce Bower

Bruce Bower

Behavioral Sciences Writer


All Stories by Bruce Bower

  1. Anthropology

    Neandertals and humans each get a grip

    A fossil analysis indicates that, by about 100,000 years ago, modern humans in the Middle East had hands suited to holding stone tools by attached handles, whereas Neandertals did not.

  2. People on the go follow the flow

    The human visual system flexibly uses available visual information for guidance as people walk toward targets, according to tests conducted in virtual environments that violate the laws of optics.

  3. Teenage depression shows family ties

    Parents and siblings of severely depressed teenagers suffer from a disproportionately high rate of severe depression, strengthening the theory that a common form of this disorder afflicts young and old alike.

  4. Conductors single out sour side notes

    Experienced classical-music conductors learn to pinpoint the sources of sounds originating from the side as well from in front of them, an essential skill for fine-tuning the performance of each musician in an orchestra.

  5. Anthropology

    Rumble in the Jungle

    A new book raises troubling and controversial issues regarding research on a famous South American Indian population.

  6. Brain takes emotional sides for sexes

    Men's and women's brains may adopt different approaches to fostering memories of emotional experiences.

  7. When diabetics dismiss their treatment

    Diabetics who retreat from close relationships in favor of self-reliance may have particular difficulty adhering to diabetes treatments if their physician communicates poorly with them.

  8. Anthropology

    Human ancestors had taste for termites

    Incisions on ancient bone implements found in South Africa indicate that human ancestors gathered termites, a protein-rich food source, more than 1 million years ago.

  9. Anthropology

    Gene, fossil data back diverse human roots

    Ancient mitochondrial DNA extracted from Homo sapiens fossils and anatomical links among H. sapiens crania from different regions both support a theory of geographically diverse human origins.

  10. Brain keeps eye on performance

    A brain area that controls eye movements may also participate in a broader neural system of self-regulation.

  11. Suicide rates revised for depression

    A research review concludes that the suicide rate among people diagnosed with depression has been overstated.